Robert Downey Jr. makes light of Martin Scorsese’s criticism against the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. Kicking off the MCU in 2008 via Jon Favreau’s Iron Man, the actor brilliantly played the role of Tony Stark/Iron Man for 11 years across 10 movies before hanging up the suit in this year’s Avengers: Endgame. And as the franchise’s inaugural actor, fans are intrigued with what his take on the veteran director’s comments on the universe he helped build.

While doing the press tour for his much-anticipated project, The Irishman, Scorsese was asked about his thoughts on the success of the MCU and the popularity of comic books movie in general. Admitting that he can’t get on board with the successful franchise, the veteran director added that for him, the movies in the universe are “not cinema.” Scorsese’s comments earned varying reactions on social media with the likes of James Gunn, Joss Whedon and Samuel L. Jackson sharing their own two cents about the matter. The latest to join the ongoing discussion who has first-hand experience working in the MCU is Downey.

During his recent guesting at The Howard Stern Show, the conversation about Scorsese’s comments was brought up and Downey offered his own take on it. Instead of defending the MCU from the criticism which was what’s expected, the actor simply brushed it off. He points out that it’s the director’s opinions and he appreciates it, adding that he wasn’t insulted by his words. Downey also downplays claims that the veteran filmmaker might just be jealous of the box office success of the franchise.

Downey basically did the similar thing when faced with a similar situation in 2017 after James Cameron publicly said he wants the popularity of the comic book films to die down. Instead of firing back on the filmmaker, he was reconciliatory and even reached out to the Avatar filmmaker and asked for a role in his future movies. If anything, Scorsese’s comments on the Marvel movies supposedly not evoking human emotions must’ve been insulting to Downey considering how he effectively portrayed both Tony Stark and Iron Man for more than a decade. But this is a great way to not fan the flames of controversy when it comes to these tricky situations, especially when someone as high-profile as him tackles these issues.

“I’ll tell you the truth. I didn’t expect it [the Marvel Cinematic Universe] to become what it became and it is this very large, multi-headed Hydra at this point. And I’ve always had other interests and according to Scorsese, it’s not cinema so I gotta to take a look at that, you know?

“It’s his opinion… I mean it plays in theaters… I appreciate his opinion because I think it’s like anything. We need all of the different perspectives so we can come to center and move on…

“Of course not, he’s Martin Scorsese. By the way, there’s a lot to be said about how these genre movies — and I was happy to be a part of the ‘problem,’ if there is one — denigrated the art form of cinema. When you come in like a stomping beast and you eliminate competition in such a demonstrative way, it’s phenomenal.”

Fans can expect that any subsequent reactions from those involved in the Marvel Cinematic Universe about the matter will be as magnanimous as Downey’s comments. Scorsese has the right to his opinion about the films, and no one wants to disrespect someone like him by firing shots at him. Those who shared their opinions prior to Downey were generally respectful of the veteran filmmaker. At the end of the day, it’s a small industry and no one knows what the future holds, so it’s better to keep bridges than unnecessarily burn them.

More: Samuel L. Jackson Weighs In On Scorsese’s Marvel Movie Comments

Source: The Howard Stern Show

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